Wyoming's mental health system fails to adequately meet the needs of its citizens, according to a national report released Wednesday,

But local and state officials said the report prepared by the National Alliance on Mental Illness does not accurately reflect the improvements that have been made in the delivery of mental health care in the state over the past several years.

The state has worked to almost double state spending on mental health programs from fiscal year 2001 to fiscal year 2007, said Rodger McDaniel, director of the mental health and substance abuse division in the Wyoming Department of Health. It increased from $14 million to $27 million.

The state has been able to offer more mental health care to Iraq war veterans, allow those in recovery to become mentors and create a state system of care, McDaniel said.

"The report is not an honest assessment," McDaniel said. "It's how well we have done in meeting NAMI's legislative agenda. It does not assess what we have done over the past three years to improve mental health services."

McDaniel said some of the legislative items include whether a state has mental health courts - similar to Wyoming's drug court - and mental health parity laws, which require insurance companies to pay the same for mental disorders as they do for physical disorders. Wyoming has neither.

Wyoming was one of 12 states that saw its grade decrease from the 2006 report and one of only six states to receive an F on the 65 criteria. In the 2006 report, Wyoming received a D.

Six states received Bs, 18 states Cs and 21 states Ds. America's grade overall was a D.

Anna Edwards, executive director of NAMI Wyoming, said the report is skewed to urban areas and some of the criteria, such as transportation, Wyoming might never do well with because the state is rural.

"The progress should not be overshadowed by this stark grade," Edwards said.

The report praised the state's crisis stabilization program, which provides care more advanced than outpatient care but less intense than inpatient. Edwards said people usually stay in the facility a few days and it is "a middle step."

The pilot program began in Cheyenne and expanded to Evanston last year. The 2009 Legislature passed a bill to allocate $1.8 million over the biennium for a stabilization program in the Basin region.

The Select Committee on Mental Health and Substance Abuse has kept mental health at the forefront of the Legislature, Edwards said.

The report identified safe and affordable housing, mental health provider shortages and transportation as urgent needs, which Edwards said the state had already identified.

As a person who struggles with mental illness, Peg Jackson said group homes are important because they help ensure people in recovery have places to live, jobs and access to medication and treatment.

She said she has to travel outside the state for services, such as electronic convulsive treatment, which help her recovery.

Edwards said the state has to continue creating a stronger system of care.

"In Casper we have the CIT, the Casper Intervention Team, which keeps people from inappropriately being arrested and going through the criminal justice system," Edwards said. "It needs to be expanded to other places."

Contact health reporter Allison Rupp at (307) 266-0534 or allison.rupp@trib.com.